Book shipping container with releasable closure



Se t 8, 1970 H. w. LAYNE, SR 1,

800K SHIPPING CONTAINER WITH RELEASABLE CLOSURE Filed Nov. 4, 1968 R O T N E V N HAROLD W. LAYNE SE. BY QMQQMEM flfforn United States Patent 3,527,399 BOOK SHIPPING CONTAINER WITH RELEASABLE CLOSURE Harold W. Layne, Sr., Beech Grove, Ind., assignor to Inland Container Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 772,902 Int. Cl. B65d /10 US. Cl. 229---39 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed is a container in which end flaps, extending from the container top and bottom panels, are folded to provide a cushioning structure for the container contents. Slots are presented for insertion of end flap portions, extending from the container side panels. The end flap portions have locking tabs and the top and bottom panel end flaps have access openings for finger release of the locking tabs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In shipping or transport by parcel post of small, high density, individually package articles such as books it is customary to provide a container or wrap of corrugated board formed so that cushioning pads or folds are present at the ends or sides of the container to protect, particularly, the binding of the book. A typical prior art structure is disclosed in Kistner US. Pat. 3,261,537.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a container which inherently protects its contents by means of cushioning folds and which may be securely locked closed with the closure being easily released and then reclosed and locked so that the container may be reused (important where the contents such as a book are to be returned to the sender).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the blank from which the container of the present invention is erected.

FIG. 2 is a fregmentary, perspective view of a container erected from the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a blank from which a modified form of the container of the present invention may be erected.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 of a container erected from the blank of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank from which the container of the present invention is formed has a bottom panel from which extend side panels 11 and 12 with a top panel 13 extending from the side panel 11, the panel junctions being defined by appropriate score lines indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1.

The side panel 12 is provided with an end flap indicated generally at 14, the line of juncture between the end flap 14 and the side panel 12 being defined by the score line 16. The base or bottom panel 10 is also provided with an end flap indicated generally at 17 with its line of juncture with the base panel 10 being defined by the score line 18. Side panel 11, similar to side panel 12, is provided with an end panel indicated generally at 19 with the line of juncture between the end panel 19 and the side panel 11 being defined by the score line 21. Top panel 13 is provided with an end flap indicated generally at 22, with the line juncture between the end flap 22 and the top panel 13 being defined by the score line 23. While only one end of the blank is shown, it will be understood that the opposite end of the blank, not shown, could be formed with conventional end flap structure for closing the end of the container or the end flap structure, not shown, could be a duplicate of that shown in FIG. 1 thereby providing locking tabs and access for opening at either end of the container.

The two opposed end flaps 17 and 22 are folded upon themselves along score lines 24, 26 and 27 with respect to end flap 17 and along score lines 28, 29 and 31 with respect to end flap 22, the score lines being parallel to the lines of juncture 18 and 23 of the end flaps and their respective panels.

Folding of the end flaps 17 and 22 along their score lines provides, as will be evident from FIG, 2, contiguous buffer elements which are generally rectangular in crosssection and which close the end of the container. When folded and in place as shown in FIG. 2, the outwardly facing surfaces 32 and 33 of the end flaps 17 and 22 respectively close the container end, as previously mentioned, and the adjacent surfaces 34 and 36 of the flaps 17 and 22, respectively, engage each other in a plane parallel to the top panel 13.

As may best be seen in FIG. 1, the outwardly facing surface 32 of the panel 17 is provided with spaced, parallel slots 37 and 38, and the outwardly facing surface 33 of the flap 22 is similarly provided with spaced, parallel slots 39 and 41. A finger access aperture 42 is formed in the outwardly facing surface 32 and, similarly, a finger access aperture 43 is formed midway between the slots 39 and 41 in the outwardly facing surface 33 of the flap 22. The engaging surfaces 34 and 36 of the flaps 17 and 22 respectively also have formed therein continuations of the slots. As indicated in FIG. 1, the surface 34 has a continuation of slot 37 formed therein which is identified at 44 and a continuation of the slot 38 which is identified at 46. The slot continuations in the surface 34 have an enlarged width dimension as compared to the slots 37 and 38 to thereby provide locking ledges 47 and 48 at the slots 37 and 38 respectively.

Similarly, the engaging surface 36 of the flap 22 is provided with a continuation of slot 39 which is identified at 49 and a continuation of slot 41 identified at 51. The slot continuations 49 and 51 are of'enlarged width dimension as compared with the slots 39 and 41 to thereby provide locking ledges 52 and 53 respectively.

The two opposed end flaps 14 and 19, extending from the remaining two panels 12 and 11 are provided with terminal portions, indicated generally at 54 and 56. These terminal portions are, as will be evident from FIG. 2, folded into a generally V-shaped configuration along the base of the V defined by the score lines 57 and 58 in the flap portions '54 and 56 respectively. The terminal portions 54 and 56 of the flaps are cut away slightly as indicated at 59 and 61, adjacent the score line defining the base of the V fold identified at 57 and 58. This cut away portion facilitates insertion of the base of the V fold, identified at 57 and 58, into the slot formed by the slot portions 37 and 41 and the slot portions 38 and 39.

As will be evident from FIG. 2, the buffer members are folded so that they present their surfaces 32 and 33 outwardly closing the end of the container and spacing the container contents from the container end. When the buffer elements are so folded in FIG. 2, the slot portions 37 and 41 are arranged in end-to-end relation to provide a continuous slot into which the base 57 of the V-shaped fold of the end flap terminal portion 54 may be inserted. When such insertion is completed, it will be evident from FIG. 2 that the free margin 71 of the flap terminal portion 54 will engage the locking ledges 47 and 53 (FIG. 1) and prevent withdrawal of the flap terminal portion 54 from the slot. Similarly, when the base 58 of the V fold of the flap terminal portion 56 is inserted in the continuous slot 38-39, the free margin 72 of the flap terminal portion 56 will engage the locking ledges 52 and 48 (FIG. 1). Engagement of the free margin 72 with the locking ledges prevents withdrawal of the flap terminal portion 56 from the slot 38-39.

After insertion of the terminal portions of the end flaps into the slots, the container is locked closed, however, the end flaps can be released by finger insertion into the apertures 42 and 43 and then by moving the free margins 71 and 72 of the flap portions 54 and 56 outwardly to bring the margins 71 and 72 into register with the slots 37-41 and 38-39 respectively. As will be evident from FIG. 2 the container, upon erection, is fastened along the adjacent margins of the top panel 13 and the side panel 12 by any suitable means such as the tape 73 to complete the usual manufacturers joint.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the modified form of the structure there shown is identical to that previously de scribed except that it is provided with two finger access apertures 81 and 82 in place of the single access aperture 42 of FIG. 1, and the top panel is provided with two finger access apertures 83 and 84 which replace the single access aperture 43 of the structure previously described.

This form of the structure is more suitable where the container has a relatively larger width across its top and bottom panels so that a single access aperture between the end fiap receiving slots would not conveniently permit finger access to the inserted flap portions to permit release of the flap portions from the slots. I

The structure described is, of a; relatively simple .onepiece design and pr'ovidesthe required buffer elements and by proper slotting and folding of these components, the container is locked closed and then the lock may be released and the containeropened-Subsequently, the container may be reused, to return merchandise, for example, by reclosing and 'relocking of the end flap portions. The locking function of the end flaps is not destroyed upon opening of the container.

locking ledges.

I claim:

1.. In a container for books or the like having top, bottom and side panels each with end flaps extending from the adjacent margins of the panels, the improvement comprising providing two opposed end flaps folded upon themselves parallel with their line of juncture with their respective panels to provide contiguous butter elements generally rectangular in cross-section and closing one end of the container, the outwardly facing surface of each of said buffer elements having spaced parallel slots therein and the adjacent engaging surfaces of each of said buffer elements having a continuation of said slots therein but with the width dimension of the slot continuation being enlarged adjacent said engaging surface and outer surface junction to thereby provide a locking ledge atthe inner margins of the slots in said outwardly facing surfaces, the two opposed end flaps extending from the remaining two panels having terminal portions folded into a generally V-shaped configuration with the base of the V inserted into the adjacent one of said buffer element slots and the free margin of the end flap terminal portion engaged by said locking ledge.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said outwardly facing surfaces of said buffer elements are provided with finger access apertures adjacent said slots therein to facilitate release of said end flap terminal portions from their respective locking ledges.

3. A' container 'as claimed in claim 1 in which said outwardly facing surface of each of said buffer elements is provided with two spaced finger access apertures one adjacent each of said spaced slots therein to facilitate release of said end flap terminal portions from their respective References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,501 10/1918 Brown. 3,133,633 5/1964 Redmond. 3,438,482 4/ 1969 Hamilton. 3,464,367 9/1969 Latter.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 22914; 206-46 

